Maui mayor endorses Mufi Hannemann for governor

Former Honolulu mayor Mufi Hannemann continues to gain endorsements in his second run for state governor.

Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa announced his support of the Hawaii Independent Party candidate Friday.

"With all the things he's done for his community in all the different components of his career he is very well suited to be the governor of the state of Hawaii," said Arakawa. "The nuts and bolts of government is someone who really understands government, and I believe Mufi is the person that can do that."

This comes one week after Hannemann's dual endorsement from the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO) and the Hawaii Sheet Metal Worker's Union, Local 293.

SHOPO also supports Arakawa in his campaign for re-election.

The seat for a new governor opens at a time when the state faces heavy deficits in almost every department, said Arakawa, but he believes Hannemann's independent status to be the remedy for the current bipartisan divide.

"Mayor Hannemann has the opportunity to make a lot of moves because he's not going to be tied to a political party," Arakawa said. "He will be right in the middle as an independent and able to pull both political parties into what the real issues within the state are."

Windward Oahu resident and decorated Air Force Veteran Les Chang will run alongside Hannemann as candidate for lieutenant governor.